SOUTHERN AFRICA. — FISHES. — INSECTS. 109 



lovely birds the glory of African ornithology : ror 

 must the honey-guides {Indicator) be omitted ; those 

 extraordinary guides to man in the discovery of the 

 nests of the African bees. The numerous grosbeaks 

 (^Amadina Sw.) and weavers (^Ploceus Cuv.) form a 

 gay and interesting part of this order ; the latter being 

 chiefly found towards the equinoctial line, while the 

 former appear more numerous in the Cape territories : 

 both genera, however, extend to India ; and there is a 

 beautiful species of Amadina in New Holland. The 

 republican grosbeak, famous for its social habits in 

 living and building in large communities, belongs also 

 to this genus. On the water birds our information is 

 very defective ; but we do not, at this moment, recollect 

 any genus which exclusively belongs to the southern 

 coast. 



(155.) Regarding the ichthyology, the following ob- 

 servation of Mr. Burchell is pecuHarly valuable, since 

 it indicates a marked difference in the distribution of 

 certain freshwater species. "Eels," observes this scientific 

 traveller, " are only found in those rivers which lie east- 

 ward of the Cape, while the Gariep silurus (S. Garie- 

 pinuSj fig. 50.) is equally restricted to those on the 



50 



western side." This department of zoology, however, 

 has been so totally neglected, that neither on this or any 

 other occasion can we collect any thing satisfactory on 

 the natural distribution of the groups. The reptiles of 

 Southern Africa are, if possible, still more imperfectly 

 known than the fish. 



(156.) The insects of the virgin forests towards 

 Algoa Bay, and no doubt through the whole extent of 

 that coast, are stated to be in great variety. They 

 yield, however, both in number and beauty, to those of 

 Western Africa; and few species among the Lejndojjtera 



